Running Away
by SourPinkSweetTart
Summary: Also includes humor! This is a story about a woman named Amaya who unexpectedly turns up at the Kamiya Kasshin dojo late at night. She is gladly welcomed, but why does she feel so uneasy? R&R Onegai! SourPinkSweetTart
1. Introduction

> **Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin is something I have not made. I do not own it. I really wish I did... -snuffle-  
  
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Introduction:  
  
Amaya took her sakabato and jammed it through the ground beneath her. Her hair fell to her sides, making the ponytail in the back come undone. Her eyes were closed; her hand resting on the hilt of the sword. She didn't smile nor did she frown. There was no emotion. A blank face shown upon the door of the Kamiya Kasshin dojo. Her sword had been stricken into a large rock at her left. She slowly tilted her head upward making her brownish red hair flickered in the moons resonance.  
  
_ What now? What to expect is totally unknown. And older man . . . just finding out about his pasts twists. More of them. Maybe . . . maybe there was no need._  
  
Inside the dojo it was hushed. Kaoru lay asleep in her room, the moon acting as her silent lullaby. She started a sweet dream, one she hadn't had in quite a while. She smiled in her sleep allowing the moonlight to reflect off her hair just the same as Amaya's. She turned over, making her back face the wall in which the moon shone through.  
  
In the next room over Yahiko slept as well. At his bedside was a small envelope filled with sunflower seeds from a girl he had met yesterday. When he'd come home late that night he had forgotten to seal them in an airtight bag, leaving the nightly draft open to creep into them.  
  
The next room over was silent as well, although a sleeping person ceased to exist. A red haired man leaned up against the porch frame. The wind crept past his hair and into the living room forcing his locks to roll out in the draft behind him. He kept a straight face as he shifted to the side letting his feet glimpse the outside breeze.  
  
_ Such a silent night._  
  
Ever since Sanosuke had left with Megumi the dojo has had endless silent nights. They seemed to last forever. The darkness never seemed to end. Kaoru had lost her glow awhile ago. Everything just seemed to come to a stand still. His eyes shifted toward his Sakabato in the corner. He eyed the knot firmly tied at the top of the sheath. He blinked.  
  
The knot tended to remind him of Tomoe. He remembered . . . the first night he and Tomoe had laid together it was pouring rain out. It was pitch dark and Kenshin had been severely injured from a warrior who attacked him through the mountains. Kenshin was so vulnerable and tired; he had no clue what he was doing. When he woke up that morning Tomoe had gone. He never saw her until the day she died. She had come to tell him something before she had to leave to go work by her grandfather and . . . they took her away. Two years later . . . many said she had been killed. He had cried for the first time in his life the day he heard the news. He had never cried before and after that he fell numb.  
  
He looked out into the moonlight. The glow strained his eyes and he squinted a bit. The breeze slowly died down and he realized he had thought about Tomoe. He looked to the ground. Such a calm night and such abrupt memories. Unwanted memories.  
  
As soon as he moved his foot to get up there was a bang. Kenshin hustled out of the living room to look at the front door. The door was on the ground and a black outline appeared wilted at the entrance, shadowed by the moon's ray.  
  
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What do you think? Is it cool? Review, Onegai! The first chapter will be longer, I promise! Sayonara


	2. Amaya's Unknown Identity

> **Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin is something I have not made. I do not own it. ;; I really wish I did . . . snuffle  
  
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Chapter 1  
  
Amaya's Identity  
  
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Kenshin really did wish he hadn't slept in. The noise in the dojo awoke him, which for this time pleased him very much because of the long stillness. He sat up and shook his head. His red hair unfolded on to his shoulders as he widened his eyes.  
  
"My . . . my hair . . ."  
  
His hair was hanging at his sides with no ponytail insight. He smiled and got out of bed. He remembered last night and the trouble they went through to have Amaya stay the night. She had been so uneasy that Kenshin sought to think she had asthma. When Kaoru finally calmed the woman down she rested Amaya's head on a pillow, on which she immediately fell asleep.  
  
That morning Amaya was up before the rest of them, outside and making breakfast. Kaoru, being delighted already for someone else was cooking the food, went over to help her prepare the meal. Kenshin slipped on the warm fuzzy slippers Kaoru had given him as a present not to long ago. He smiled at the warmth. It was the same warmth that made him smile when Kaoru was around.  
  
_ I should check to see if Yahiko is up yet, that I should. I hear Kaoru-dono and Amaya outside already. Hmm. Yes, that I should._  
  
Kenshin walked out of his room, tripping over a sheath on his way out. He leaned over and picked it up. The shine from sun reflected in upon it and immediately blinded Kenshin.  
  
"Oro!?"  
  
Kenshin dropped the sheath making a small clatter echo through out the dojo. Kaoru recognized the tone from outside.  
  
"Kenshin! Come help with breakfast! Can you bring out the celery?"  
  
Amaya instantly got up off the ground. She took both of her hands and dusted off the kimono Kaoru had given her. She gave a quick smile to Kaoru and waved her hand.  
  
"Be right back, Kaoru-danna!"  
  
Kaoru smiled back and picked up the knife. She started to slice the remaining celery left outside. The knife rocked back and forth, up and down, side to side, so flimsily that Kaoru's hand slipped. The knife slid out of her hand and cut her finger.  
  
"Eh-?!"  
  
Kaoru staggered back on her thighs. Just than, Kenshin came out of the dojo with hands full of celery.  
  
"Kaoru-dono! Daijoubu?"  
  
"Hai, Kenshin."  
  
Kaoru smiled at Kenshin's thoughts. She knew he'd always be there for her, no matter what.  
  
Around the corner, Amaya leaned on the side of the dojo wall thinking to herself.  
  
_ I actually stayed here a night! What was I thinking? I can't even get myself out of this now. There is no way I can say anything now. I have to get Kenshin alone, but he always seems to be with that Kaoru. Sheesh. Maybe . . ._  
  
Kaoru leaned over to water bucket to Kenshin, which he demanded her to see the wound. Only a small line was in order to be treated. He nodded his head and retreated to the dojo in search of cleaning alcohol. Kaoru watched as Kenshin went inside. She smiled. Amaya rounded the corner and walked back up to Kaoru. She got to her feet.  
  
"Kaoru, I forgot to run some errands yesterday. I'll be back in a bit!"  
  
"Oh, wait! I'll accompany you! Just one second and I can . . ."  
  
"No. Really, I think I should go alone. And thank you for the overnight stay! It was very comfortable here."  
  
"You're very welcome! I'll be sure to see you later, eh?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
Kaoru smiled and returned to slicing the celery. Although she was slightly disappointed that she wouldn't be able to attend Amaya's errand running, she didn't let it ruin her work ethic. She began to viciously cut the celery to ensure it would be done at the same time as the water.  
  
Amaya went through the back door of the dojo. She slipped into her room and snagged her sword that had been leaned up against the corner, just as Kenshin's was the night before. She glanced around the wooden walls to see if she had brought anything else and pivoted her feet backward. As soon as she put her hand on the door she realized her sheath wasn't present. She opened the door and saw Kenshin directly in front of her, holding the sheath in one hand and Aloe Vera in the other. Amaya gasped loudly. She stared in Kenshin's eyes which he couldn't resist doing himself. They both didn't blink.  
  
Kenshin kept a firm grip on the sheath while he took a confused look to his face. Her eyes were so familiar, yet he hated thinking they were. Usually when he remembered eyes they were of the people he had slain. He winced.  
  
"Sumimasen, you were looking for this?"  
  
He held up the sheath higher than the Aloe Vera. She glanced away from his eyes and onto the sheath. She slowly put her hand over it and formed a firm grasp upon it, just as Kenshin let go.  
  
"If you don't mind me asking, where will you be off to, Amaya-dono?"  
  
"Me? Oh, I just-"  
  
"It's OK."  
  
Kenshin smiled and turned in the other direction.  
  
"There is no need to tell a stranger where you will be going. If you need an escort, I'm here to help de gozaru yo."  
  
Amaya was frozen. She just stared at the sheath, its black finish glistening just the way it had blinded Kenshin, except now the sun rested in a different place and the sun no longer hit the sheath in the same direction. She sheathed her Sakabato and went to the door, preparing to leave for the last time. She didn't have one doubt that she wasn't coming back. Amaya tilted her head to the right and turned it left. She spoke in a soft voice.  
  
"Kenshin, have you seen my sword?"  
  
Kenshin looked up. He had seen it the night before when he grabbed it out of the rock outside. He had not really seen the most of it, but he had noticed it was fairly dull. He spoke back to her.  
  
"That I have not."  
  
"It's a Sakabato."  
  
"Eh-?"  
  
This got Kenshin's attention. He turned to the right just enough to see her pluck her sword from her sheath.  
  
"Like you, I have sworn not to kill. Haven't you done the same? Don't you wield a Sakabato as well, ch- KENshin."  
  
Kenshin looked at her in confusion.  
  
Ch-? What was she about to say?  
  
"See you around."  
  
Kenshin glared at the door as she left. She was very strange indeed. Kenshin went outside with the Aloe Vera and finished making breakfast with Kaoru.  
  
The day went by pretty fast. He hadn't had a fast day in a while, especially with the absence of Sano and Megumi. Yahiko wouldn't be coming home till late again. Out with his girlfriend supposedly. The moonlight fell across the dojo again as night fell. Kaoru sat quietly in her room, awake, waiting for Amaya's return. Kenshin knew very well she wasn't coming back. He didn't mind. She was a nice person, but he knew she didn't want to be here with the look on her face, although it confused him to an extent. He leaned up against the wall he had last night and thought again, in the same position as he was before. He looked back to the corner where his Sakabato rested. This time when he saw the knot that topped the sheath he thought of Amaya's eyes.  
  
_ That woman Amaya seemed very nervous when she stared at me. Why would such an innocent person be so afraid? Must she know my past? But how? I know that my history has not become a story parents tell their kids. It had been sixteen years since him and Tomoe had lain together. Back than the kids in the nationhood were only telling cute stories about fairies and such._  
  
Kenshin remembered her eyes. He closed his eyes and stared into her eyes again. The bluish tint that appeared resided in the background of her pupil just as Tomoe's had. Tomoe. Just than he felt a knot in his throat. Her eyes were just like Tomoe's except for the violet edges among the outskirts. He started thinking about all the similarities she and Tomoe had. They started pouring into his mind. He tried to filter through them but he couldn't think fast enough to keep track. He flashed his eyes open. Anyone who hung around Tomoe had similarities to her. She always seemed to rub off on other people. He fell into a small state of shock and recalled upon the night before.  
  
Flashback  
  
Kaoru: Kenshin find her some spare blankets and pillows. We will have her stay the night.  
  
Amaya: No. I couldn't even pay for a single . . .  
  
Kaoru: Don't worry. You stay here and rest. No form of payment matters as long as you rest here tonight.  
  
Kenshin: A pillow, Kaoru-dono.  
  
Kaoru: Here. Just rest your head on this.  
  
Amaya immediately fell asleep.  
  
Kenshin: She looks very tired.  
  
Kaoru: The poor thing must only be around sixteen.  
  
End of Flashback  
  
Kenshin hurled off his feet and flew out the door, grabbing his Sakabato on the way. As soon as he ran six feet ahead of him, a drunken Yahiko yelled after him.  
  
"Hey Ken- hic shin! Heheh. Never mind. I'll be right here!"  
  
Kenshin wasn't stopping. He was sure this strange woman knew something about Tomoe's death!  
  
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So is it good? You like it? Yay!! I'll work on it more later. Sayanora!


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